As Fabinho and Jordan Henderson have officially left and with Romeo Lavia a step closer to Liverpool, LFC Transfer Room answer whether the midfield options the Reds have is enough.
In this article, we will go through each individual player and what they can offer in this upcoming season and beyond.
Should Liverpool bring in another midfielder after Romeo Lavia? Have we got the midfield we need to go and be successful? We are here to break it down for you.
Dominik Szoboszlai – CAM/CM/RW/LW
A player that has everything. Not only does this guy possess bags of ability but his mentality is second-to-none. The perfect mix to become a world-class talent.
Liverpool have lacked serious quality over the last couple of years when it comes to the transition from defence to attack, Szoboszlai provides that in abundance.
Game changer comes to mind, in which bridging the gap of the fine margins that have prevented Liverpool from success.
His incredible shooting ability will have defenders second guessing how to defend against him, which will only create more space for the attacking players. A proper Jurgen Klopp player. Starter
Alexis Mac Allister – CM/CDM/CAM
Another great summer signing for the Reds. Mac Allister’s versatility suits the Liverpool manager down to the ground and his impact to create has already been felt by his teammates.
The Argentinian will fit straight into the first team due to his experience he has already gained in the Premier League.
Like Szoboszlai, Mac Allister provides a great link between the defence and attack, which was clearly missing on the pitch last season.
The question is, where will Jurgen Klopp play him? Which is a great headache to have as he is able to play in numerous positions with effect. A fantastic addition. Starter
Thiago Alcantara – CM/CDM
One of the best technical players to ever grace the pitch at Anfield. Whether Thiago stays until next year or not, it has been a pleasure to watch him, when available that is.
That’s the problem. Thiago’s injuries has hindered his time in Merseyside and is the only reason why reliability is in question.
At times, he slows down play, which is why coming from the bench to either finish teams off or see games out would be his best option this year.
Despite this, his passing ability and how he creates space from nothing will be key from turning draws into wins. Spanish Maestro has a lot to give, it’s just keeping him available. Rotation
Curtis Jones – CM/CAM/LW
Jones is such a tricky player to work out. On occasion, he has been unplayable, and finally showed a bit of consistency in Liverpool’s end-of-the-season run early on in the year.
He carried on that form into England U21’s Euros win, being a key player throughout the tournament, including the winning deflection in the final.
If the scouser can keep consistent, then he is giving the likes of Mac Allister some much-needed competition.
At his best, he can be important with such a congested fixture list, knowing that we can rest players and not drop too far in quality. Keeps players on their toes. Back-up
Stefan Bajcetic – CDM/CM/CB
One of last season’s only shining lights after coming in to show exactly what the Liverpool midfield was missing.
Bajcetic wasn’t in the plans at the start of the season, but after a couple of injuries and poor performances by the original first-teamers, he took his chance.
Bags of potential and seems already good enough to start matches, unfortunately, at his age, you can’t rely on him being a starter week in week out.
If Romeo Lavia does come through the door, these two youngsters may share the no.6 role. Although, after proving his worth in a no.8 role, he can also be rotated with the other midfielders. Rotation
Harvey Elliot – CAM/RW/CM
Elliot is an exciting player no doubt, but is he a midfielder? In terms of attacking and creating stats, over the last couple of years, the youngster has stood out.
His best performance, however, was from the right-wing in the cup, where he got man of the match. Does this mean he’s a right-winger?
A player that position has been up for debate for the whole season, mainly playing in the right-handed side of midfield, due to Jurgen Klopp not having many options.
The youngster’s best attribute is his creative output, but physically doesn’t suit both central midfield and wing, which is why no.10 would be his best role, which Liverpool don’t essentially play. Out of position
Romeo Lavia? – CDM
An absolute talent. Unfortunately, was a part of a relegated Southampton side, but not for the lack of his work for the team.
Such composure and mindfulness of what is around him, which at 19 in the Premier League, is the perfect foundation for Jurgen Klopp to help him develop.
Only issue is that of his age. Like Bajcetic, it would be too much to rely on a youngster to be the starting no.6 every week for such a club, who are expecting to win majority of their matches.
The pressure of playing for Liverpool is on a different level to that of Romeo Lavia’s current club, which could make or break this player, especially if he is the last midfielder to bring in. Rotation
LFC Transfer Room Verdict
We have two midfield options you can confidently state are starters and they are both new themselves. Romeo Lavia would be the expected defensive midfielder, but every week at that age? Risky.
It was risky last year with the midfield options, but as per, the club did very little in the transfer window to address that.
The other options are a mixture of youngsters and injury prone, and Curtis Jones, who at his best is incredible, but has lacked consistency over the years (barring the last 10 games last season).
As a whole, if these are the 7 we go into the season with, it’s worrying. Good quality, but reliability is what casts doubts.
Can we rely on two youngsters to rotate such an important role at no.6? Is a Thiago injury only a matter of when not if? Will Curtis Jones find his form that he gave us a taste of?
We are going into the season with too many questions and not many answers. One answer I do have, however, is that to answer the original question of ‘is it enough?’ It’s a simple no.
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